Family History
YOUR GRANDFATHER’S HISTORY Grandpa was born in 410 A.D., the last year that Britain was part of the Roman Empire. Irish raiders from the west, Picts from the north, and Saxons from the east were ruthlessly harrying the island. The nobles sent a letter to their emperor to ask for imperial help, preferably in the form of legions to fight off the invaders. However, Emperor Honorius had no armies to spare, and instead he sent only a return letter with the now-famous line, “look to your own defenses.” From that moment forward, no Briton considered his land to be a part of the Roman Empire. The high council of Briton nobles, called the Supreme Collegium, debated and at last chose a leader, struggling to raise an army of their own. The man they chose, named Constantin, a Briton of wealth and renown, then chose one man in a thousand to be a military leader — an equites as they say in Latin, or in our tongue, a knight. Among those first native knights was your great-grandfather. His first son, your grandfather, grew up in a dangerous land studying the ways of weapons and of warfare. Your grandfather was knighted in 431 by Count Reginald of Salisbury and proudly took his place in the army of King Constantin. For the first several years, your grandfather witnessed vicious religious debates as Saint Germanus worked unsuccessfully to stamp out the British Christian Church. Barbarian raids, against which he fought, continued along the borders of Britain, and on the European Continent great hordes of Germanic tribes swept over the failing Roman Empire. Choose a name for your great-grandfather and his son. Your grandfather:STARTING GLORY Your great-grandfather died some time shortly before your grandfather was knighted. At the time of his death, his Glory was as follows: 1,000 for being knighted, plus 1d20x100 for the work of his life. Great-grandfather Glory at time of death: 1000 + 19 X 100 = 2900 GM NOTE: 2900 Glory is a 100 Glory short of the max you could get. That Great-grandfather was pretty bad ass! At this amount of Glory, your Great-Grandfather is considered to be a “Notorious Knight”. People your character crosses path with might recognize his name. Next, calculate your grandfather’s Glory as of the year 439 A.D.: He begins with 1/10th of this father’s Glory, plus 2d20 for his own actions as a knight thus far. Grandfather Starting Glory: 290 + 32 = 322 Timeline Begins YEAR 439 This is a typical year for its era: The Saxons raid heavily but are driven off by the noble knights of Briton. Of special note is the fact that an heir is born into your family some time during this year — your father, eldest son of your grandfather. Fought at the Battle of Carlion. Survived.. Gained 75 Glory YEAR 440 During this year, King Constantin is murdered by one of his own guards. Served garrison duty; survived Pictish raiding. Gain 10 Glory YEARS 441–442 At the urging of Duke Vortigern of the Gewessi, the High Council chooses Constans, the young son of Constantin, as king. Constans is a young, bookish type, however, so he relies on his uncle, Duke Vortigern, for advice. Served garrison duty; survived raiding. Gain 20 Glory. YEAR 443 Young King Constans is murdered by his Pictish bodyguards. After much debate, Duke Vortigern is selected to be the next King of the Britons. The younger brothers of King Constans are taken away to Brittany in secret. Also this year, a prelate from the pope, the saintly Germanus, comes to Britain to condemn and combat British Christianity. Your grandfather supports this. Served garrison duty; survived raiding. Gain 20 Glory. YEARS 444–445 The Picts stage a massive invasion, with their armies occupying much of the north and bands of raiders penetrating all the way into Logres. Rather than risk a great loss, King Vortigern orders his armies to dig in and garrison their homes and holdings. Served garrison duty and survived; defended well. Gain 10 Glory. YEAR 446 King Vortigern realizes that he needs assistance against the furious Picts and, in good Roman fashion, hires new barbarians to fight the old barbarians. The Saxon kings Hengest and Horsa come from the Continent with their bands of warriors to join Vortigern’s army. Thus reinforced, the Briton army marches north against the Picts. Battle is met near the city of Lincoln, and it is a great victory for the British. Fought at the Battle of Lincoln. Gains 360 Glory (max for a survivor of this battle!) Survived. Gain passion: Hate (Picts) 11 have to be a fool to trust a Pict!” YEARS 447–449 During this time, King Vortigern spares his own army, using the Saxons to drive the Picts out of the north. More Saxons come to Britain, including many families, and Hengest’s daughter Rowena becomes a favorite at Vortigern’s court. News from the Continent is persistent in saying that new foes, the Huns, are defeating the German tribes right and left. These savages are thought to be half demon, half horse. Nothing significant occurred. YEAR 450 Vortigern, impressed with the battle prowess of the Saxons and even more so with the talents of Rowena, the daughter of the Saxon chief Hengest, marries her this year in a lavish celebration. Attended the wedding of Vortigern and Rowena. Gain 5 Glory. YEARS 451–453 News comes from the continent that the Huns, led by their king, Attila, reached the walls of Rome itself but were unable to storm or besiege it. Some say the Huns were stopped because they lacked siege engines, others that they failed because of the pope’s piety. The lands of Britain are relatively quiet. Yet many Britons, including your grandfather complain to Vortigern that he is falling away from their noble ways and selling the country to the Saxons. Nothing significant occurred. YEAR 454 After failing to smash or bluff Rome into submission, the Hun army turns to Gaul for pillage and plunder, scouring the land of its wealth, slaughtering as it goes. The commander in Gaul, Aetius, sends for help from all who will send it, and Vortigern sends a small contingent. The allied army meets the Huns at Chalons, where the Huns are defeated and driven from Europe. Sent to help Aetius in Battle of Chalons. Survived. The survivors, all of whom were knights dissatisfied with Vortigern’s policies, return to Britain with great glory; Vortigern welcomes them with honeyed words, but a bitter heart. Gain 270 Glory. YEARS 455–456 News arrives that Rome, the center of the civilized world, has been sacked! The tribe of Germans called the Vandals has done the impossible and brought Rome low. The Western Empire is finished. Nothing significant occurred. YEAR 457 The eastern Britons rebel, protesting the policies of King Vortigern. The king summons his army, including the Saxons, and marches against them. A great battle ensues at Kent, in which the rebels are crushed. Vortigern gives the great lands of the Kantii tribe to his loyal Saxons. Many Britons pack up and depart the land, moving to Brittany to escape the rule of Vortigern. Served garrison duty; saw little or no combat. YEARS 458–459 Many dissident Britons depart from the island, moving with their families and possessions to Brittany. Your grandfather, loyal to the Count of Salisbury, remains. Served garrison duty; saw little or no combat. YEAR 460 This year begins your father’s personal history as a knight. He starts with 1,000 Glory (for being knighted), plus 1/10th of the total current Glory of his father (whether his father still lives or not). From this point forward, any further Glory won by your grandfather (if he still lives) does not accrue to your father. Current Total Grandfather Glory: 2092 Starting Father's Glory: 1209 Father and grandfather served garrison duty; saw little or no combat. YEAR 462 The rule of King Vortigern has proved unwise and very oppressive, often favoring his Saxon mercenaries (and inlaws) over his lawful subjects. Many nobles have talked of rebellion, and when Vortigern’s eldest son (by his first marriage) agrees to lead the nobles, general rebellion breaks loose. The Count of Salisbury is among the rebels to fight in the Battle of Cambridge. Father and grandfather served garrison duty; saw little or no combat. YEAR 463 Ostensibly to bring peace to all sides, Vortigern and Hengest call a council of all combatants to meet at Stonehenge for a feast of peace. Seeking reconciliation, almost all British knights attend. The Saxons prove their worth through great treachery, though, and the majority of the nobles of Britain are slain in the “Night of Long Knives.” In the subsequent confusion, a large part of their armies are dispersed or slain. The Earl of Salisbury is among the dead. “Night of Long Knives” treachery: Grandfather murdered. Your family gains Hate (Saxons) passion 18 YEAR 464 In this year, your father marries to procure an heir (rather than for love). He is fortunate in that his own father was favored by the Earl of Salisbury, and that there are many heiresses now, in the wake of the Night of Long Knives, needing protection. He marries a widow with a manor of her own, who, thanks to her former husband, also has a modicum of Glory before she remarries (which thus accrues to your father). Gain 50 Glory from Bride (practically the lowest possible. This means her previous husband was low class, or poor, or something of the sort.) YEAR 465 In this year your character is born, assuming the default starting age of 21. Vortigern, with his Saxons, marches back and forth across Britain, extracting tribute and plunder. Many more Britons flee the land. Your father, a young knight, remains in his lands, tends to his manor, and waits with his lord. Vortigern escapes from the Saxons and takes refuge in Gomeret, attempting to build a fortress. The youthful Merlin makes his appearance and begins his career here. YEARS 466–467 Aurelius Ambrosius, son of the former King Constantin and brother of Constans, lands in Hampshire with an army from Brittany. He carries a great banner with a red dragon upon it. All across the land, discontented nobles muster their armies and join him. Vortigern seeks to escape, but his Saxon allies go back home to Kent, and many other allies desert him. Fought at the Siege of Carlion. Survived. Gain 90 (max for a survivor of this battle) YEAR 468 Aurelius Ambrosius and his army pursue Vortigern and besiege him in his new castle on Mount Snowdon. A battle ensues, at which Vortigern is killed and his army scattered. Aurelius Ambrosius summons the High Council, and they elect him High King. He takes the title of Pendragon (“high dragon” or “head dragon”), derived from his great battle banner. Served garrison duty; saw little or no combat. YEARS 469–472 Many Saxons come over from the Continent and settle in Kent under their king, Hengest. High King Aurelius Ambrosius maintains an unsteady peace with the Saxons, Irish, and Picts, despite their raiding. His younger brother, Uther, makes a name for himself as a great warrior in countering these raids and leading picked warriors on raids into enemy territory. Gained 100 Glory in the fighting. YEAR 473 The Saxons, confident of victory, march into the Thames Valley. King Aurelius Ambrosius raises an army to resist, but loses the battle in a major Saxon victory. Fought at the Battle of Windsor. Survived. Gain Hate (Saxons) passion 14. Gain 90 Glory (max for survivor of this battle) YEARS 474–476 The Saxons of Kent roam and pillage the land. Only fortified places are safe, and the peasants suffer terribly. Served garrison duty and survived. Gain 25 Glory. YEAR 477 Another Saxon king, Ælle, lands in southern Britain with a large army and takes over the area. Many of the peasants flee, but others are captured and enslaved. Ælle renames the land South Saxony, or Sussex. Aurelius Ambrosius marches with his army to oppose the foe, who is reinforced at the last moment by the Saxons from Kent. Ambrosius is lucky to escape with his army. The Saxons remain. YEARS 478–79 For years, Aurelius Ambrosius has been building a fleet of ships in the ports of his western lands. In this year, he musters his army and sets sail, sweeping around the southern coast, where he destroys the fleets of the Saxons in Britain. Then he sails to the Continent, destroying all the hostile shipping as he goes. The British army lands in Frisia, doing great damage to the Saxons there, and winning a battle against the barbarians. The Saxons in Britain begin vicious raiding in retaliation. Served garrison duty. Fought in Saxon raids on Salisbury. Died gloriously in battle (+1,000 Glory). Total Glory Gain from Battle: 1060 Father's Glory at time of death: 2624 (which is rather high for a Knight this young, whatever he did during that Saxon raid must have been quite the feat, add to that the fact he survived 2 large scale battles intact and with maximum Glory. Odds are, your character's father is probably known for having been a excellent fighter and very brave knight) YEAR 480 An army of Saxons sails up the Port River into Salisbury. While planning for the battle, Aurelius Ambrosius is poisoned by a false doctor. Despite his illness, Ambrosius marches with Uther against the enemy, whom they meet at Menevia. Ambrosius confronts the foe while Uther takes his army around to the Saxons’ rear and cuts them off from their ships, attacking them with great vigor. It is a great victory for the British, but Ambrosius is killed in the fighting. Afterward, the High Council meets and unanimously elects Uther to be the new Pendragon YEARS 481–483 The Saxons are relatively quiet during this time, with small bands raiding here and there but no armies marching. It is reported that many of their women and children have now settled in their lands. YEAR 484 Another wave of Saxons arrives by boat and settles in the land of Diera. Aided by the Saxons in Britain and some rebellious northern Britons, they attack in the land of Malahaut. Their army defeats the northern defenders, then lays siege to the city of Eburacum. King Uther raises his army and hastens northward to join battle. However, King Uther, anxious to relieve the sorry inhabitants of Eburacum, is drawn into a trap and fights a desperate battle, from which he barely escapes with great loss. King Uther refuses to give up. With the battered remnants of his army, he sneaks north under cover of darkness, and falls upon the celebrating Saxons who are drunk on both victory and ale. The Saxons are slaughtered and Uther claims a great victory. YEAR 485 King Uther suffers heavy losses and raises many troops to make up for it. He orders all squires who are ready to muster at Windsor Castle to be knighted. This is the current year, the start of your Pendragon campaign: You are about to be knighted!